I’ve been wanting to cross shrimp and grits off my cooking list. Little did I know I would be making Indian Curried Shrimp and Grits.

I was only using the brand new bottle of organic turmeric that was calling my name. A savory bed of spinach and shrimp all nestled into a bowl of flavorful grits sounded so good!

I really had no intention of writing this recipe, as I was just making myself dinner and lunch for the next day.

Let me just say, it was so delicious, I knew I would have no leftovers for lunch as I would have to share with my honey when he came from work. My kids had already enjoyed leftover spaghetti. My baby girl did eat some of my grits and of course, even she loved them. (She really does have good taste!)

What I love about this dish is…everything!

I love how the savory grits complement the smoky curry flavors of the sweet shrimp and onions and slight bitterness of the spinach. The love how the steam created when covering the spinach, and mixed with the olive oil and curry spices, creates a rich broth that runs gracefully over the corn grits.

I love that each bite was as delicious as the first. And I love the light tang of Greek yogurt on top.

I’m sad that it’s gone. But I am happy that I wrote it down so I can make it again!

Indian Curried Shrimp and Spinach Over Grits

Recipe may be doubled to serve 4. Recipe has been tested for 2 servings.

Ingredients

2/3 cup quick cooking grits

3 cups water plus 3 tsp chicken bouillon

2 Tb olive oil

1/4 large onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2-1 tsp salt to taste

6 oz frozen cooked jumbo shrimp, thawed and chopped

3 cups baby spinach

4 Tb nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the water and chicken bouillon over high heat to boiling. When the broth is boiling, slowly whisk in the dry grits. Reduce heat to medium low and continue whisking until grits begin to thicken. Reduce heat to low and cook a few minutes more, until desired consistency. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes, cooking and stirring occasionally.

Add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more until fragrant. Add the spices.

Stir in the chopped shrimp. Cook and stir about 3 minutes until heated through. Season to taste with salt.

Top with baby spinach. Remove from heat and cover until spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove lid and stir to combine. Serve ladled over grits. Top with Greek yogurt, if desired.

The easiest Valentine’s meal you can make your sweetie this year is a great big salad bursting with fresh crispy vegetables, sweet succulent shrimp and nutty sesame dressing. I threw together this gorgeous salad one evening-made to serve 6-and my sweetie ate half the pan.

Though I don’t blame him! The Asian Sesame Dressing by TLish is pretty darn addicting. It is nutty, sweet and savory all in one bite! Tiffany Denson used to make jars and jars of these dressing for her neighbors in Birmingham, Alabama before being convinced to sell it market wide, after having sold over 1700 jars in the year 2010.

It’s no wonder this sold like hotcakes, just look at that sweet dressing. You know you want to reach out and catch that drip right there. Just like the bottle says, “all natural. all good.”

I layered plenty of fresh produce to create texture and depth to this crispy salad. Topped with crunchy wonton strips, this salad is a gem. Mann’s Packing, which began from a carrot stand in 1939, quickly began selling a larger variety of fresh produce and has it’s own Asian Citrus Crunch Salad Kit too, if you’re in a pinch for a quick dinner. It has all the fix’ins in the bag! Majority women owned and always fresh, Mann Packing has just what you need to complete your meal.

Though I made this with individually purchased produce, because I didn’t get around to using my gifts from Mann’s Packing-yet-I just had to share that they had a comparable product that was perfect for this dish!

All the way down to the wonton strips!

I really love that both of these amazing sponsors offered up this perfect match made in salad heaven! And thanks to Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, 22 awesome bloggers are offering over 1oo recipes for your Valentine’s Day meal plan.

(Why does this salad look so tiny from way up here?) It’s huge!

For an opportunity to win these wonderful and healthful products, check out the giveaway at the end of this post.

First layer up, a red and green lettuce combination and diced bell peppers.

Cabbage and more bell peppers.

More lettuce and sweet red onions.

Fresh cucumbers and carrots.

Succulent salad shrimp and nutty sesame seeds. And a sprinkle of lime zest.

Finally some wonton strips and salad dressing. (Notice a pattern of layering by twos?)

Such quick prep for salad that will disappear from your plate right before your eyes. Yummy!

Instructions

Prep and wash the produce. Thaw and drain the shrimp, if frozen.

In a large glass bowl or 13x9" baking dish, layer the salad ingredients. First half the lettuce, then half the bell peppers, followed by all of the cabbage and the remaining bell peppers. Layer the remaining half of the lettuce, followed by the red onion. Layer next the cucumbers and carrots. Drizzle the salad with the sesame oil and lime juice.

Top with the salad shrimp and the sesame seeds. Sprinkle with the lime zest.

In a small fry pan, heat oil to 350F. Cut the wonton wrappers into strips. Carefully fry the wrappers until they are lightly golden, flipping to cook evenly on both sides, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Top the salad with crispy wonton strips and drizzle with TLish Asian Sesame Dressing.

Notes

Any Asian dressing can be substituted in place of the brand name dressing.

This post was sponsored by TLish and Mann Packing. I received complimentary product from the sponsor for participating in #FreshTastyValentines. No additional compensation was received by me. All opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own, unless otherwise noted. Feel free to substitute the branded ingredients as needed with a like for like product. *This post contains affiliate links.

So remember when I said steak was my husband’s most romantic meal? Well mine is Mexican food.

The kind that is covered with sauces and creams and bursting with fresh herbs and spices. The kind that practically melts in your mouth when you take that first bite. The kind that zings on the tip of your tongue.

I love mine with gooey cheese and hearty corn tortillas. That is my favorite flavor combination on earth. And don’t even get me started on tacos. I especially love the thick yellow corn tortillas that taste homemade. Or better yet, actual homemade tortillas. With seafood being on the sexy and fancy side, I decided I would go with shrimp enchiladas frescas. Frescas – made with fresh ingredients, including fresh bottled salsa from Mekenita Mexican Grille.

Directions:
For the brown rice risotto heat the oil in a medium sauté pan with the garlic and rice. Stir and brown the rice for about five minutes. Stir in the cilantro and chicken bouillon. Stir in 2 1/2 cups BOILING water and cover. Cook over low heat for 35 minutes remove lid and continue cooking adding half cup of BOILING water at a time and stirring frequently until the rice is creamy and soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from heat.

When the rice is nearly done cooking, begin the enchiladas by combining the butter and milk in a medium sauce pan to create a roux. Add in the cream cheese until melted and whisk in the milk. When the mixture is slightly bubbly and thickened, stir in the grated pepper jack cheese.

Mix until smooth and remove from heat.

For the shrimp melt the butter and canola oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Zest the lemon using your KitchenIQ Spice Grater or similar product. Add the shrimp, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Cook and stir until the shrimp are pink, about five minutes.

Heat tortillas on a griddle over medium heat, on both sides for about one minute, until warmed. Place on a plate and carefully spoon a few pieces of shrimp into each tortilla. Roll tightly with the seams down and ladle the cheese sauce over the enchiladas.

Serve along side the brown rice risotto and some stir-fried veggies, if you’d like. Garnish with Gourmet Garden’s lightly dried cilantro and Mekenita salsa.

Now go surprise your honey with this romantic Mexican dish.

This post was sponsored by Gourmet Garden, Mekenita and Kitchen IQ. I received herbs and pastes, salsa and a spice grater from the sponsors for participating in #TripleSBites. No additional compensation was received by me. All opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own. Feel free to substitute the branded ingredients as needed with a like for like product.

*Nutritional value may vary depending upon which ingredients are used.

*PointsPlus® calculated by Famished Fish and in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.

Ingredients

For the Shrimp Filling

12 oz small shrimp, peeled and thawed if frozen

1 Tb canola oil

1 Tb butter

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 tsp Gourmet Garden cilantro paste

dash salt and pepper

For the Cheese Sauce

2 Tb butter

2 Tb flour

3 Tb Neufchatel cream cheese

1 cup milk

12 oz pepperjack, freshly grated

8 thick yellow corn tortillas

1/3 cup Mekenita salsa

For the Brown Rice Risotto

3/4 cup brown rice

1 1/2 Tb canola oil

1 Tb Gourmet Garden chunky garlic paste

1 Tb Gourmet Garden cilantro paste

1 Tb chicken bouillon

3-4 1/2 cups BOILING water

Instructions

For the brown rice risotto heat the oil in a medium sauté pan with the garlic and rice. Stir and brown the rice for about five minutes. Stir in the cilantro and chicken bouillon. Stir in 2 1/2 cups BOILING water and cover. Cook over low heat for 35 minutes remove lid and continue cooking adding half cup of BOILING water at a time and stirring frequently until the rice is creamy and soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from heat.

When the rice is nearly done cooking, begin the enchiladas by combining the butter and milk in a medium sauce pan to create a roux. Add in the cream cheese until melted and whisk in the milk. When the mixture is slightly bubbly and thickened, stir in the grated pepper jack cheese. Mix until smooth and remove from heat.

For the shrimp melt the butter and canola oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Zest the lemon. Add the shrimp, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook and stir until the shrimp are pink, about five minutes.

Heat tortillas on a griddle over medium heat, on both sides for about one minute, until warmed. Place on a plate and carefully spoon a few pieces of shrimp into each tortilla. Roll tightly with the seams down and ladle the cheese sauce over the enchiladas.

Serve along side the brown rice risotto and some stir-fried veggies, if you’d like. Garnish with Gourmet Garden’s lightly dried cilantro and Mekenita salsa.

Romantic bites – there’s nothing sexier than a romantic bite now I know this is a family blog but when people think of romance we tend to think of mouths and kissing – and tasting. So romantic bites are just that. It’s taking a small piece of food and putting it into your mouth and enjoying every flavor, every spice or every sweetness.

Shrimp cocktail is one of those appetizers that brings out just that. It’s a small, sexy bite of food and when paired with Spicy Chai Sauce by Intensity Academy, it is heaven in a shot glass. With a few sticks of jicama and carrots, this appetizer is a sure honey pleaser.

Directions:
Begin by rinsing and thawing shrimp and blotting with a paper towel to dry. Cut the jicama into long strips about the size of thin french fries. Do the same with the carrots. Pour 2 tablespoons of spicy chai sauce in the bottom of a tall shot glass or appetizer glass. Arrange the jicama and carrots in the middle and 5 shrimp on the outside hanging over the rim.

Garnish with a sprig of chive if desired. Serve immediately.

This post was sponsored by Intensity Academy. I received one bottle of sauce from the sponsor for participating in #TripleSBites. No additional compensation was received by me. All opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own. Feel free to substitute the branded ingredients as needed with a like for like product.

Chai Sweet Chili Shrimp Cocktail Cups

*Nutritional value may vary depending upon which ingredients are used.

*PointsPlus® calculated by Famished Fish and in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.

Ingredients

12 ounces of shrimp, peeled with the tail on

1 medium jicama, peeled

two medium carrots, peeled

1/2 cup Spicy Chai Sauce

2 chives, sliced lengthwise (optional)

Instructions

Begin by rinsing and thawing shrimp and blotting with a paper towel to dry.

Cut the jicama into long strips about the size of thin french fries. Do the same with the carrots. Pour 2 tablespoons of spicy chai sauce in the bottom of a tall shot glass or appetizer glass. Arrange the jicama and carrots in the middle and 5 shrimp on the outside hanging over the rim.Garnish with a sprig of chive if desired. Serve immediately.

My second post of #TripleSBites features calamari. My husband and I often get calamari when we go out on date night (we actually get a date night!) therefore I give you this “sexy” appetizer. Seafood to me is always romantic. Some say even an aphrodisiac.

The perfect seasoning that I found for this calamari was Voodoo Chef’s Red seasoning which consists of a zesty mixture of salt, garlic, paprika and spices, making it perfect for almost any dish.

Crispy breading coats sweet calamari and is served alongside spicy creamy mayo sauce. Drizzled with a bit of lemon this is perfection. To top this off, it is sprinkled with Gourmet Garden’s Lightly Dried Parsley.

Directions:
Defrost the calamari if frozen, according to package directions. Mix together the calamari, buttermilk and 2 tsp seasoning salt in a large bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no more than 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a 13×9 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Spray generously with cooking spray.

In a pie plate or other type of dish, combine the bread crumbs and 1 Tb seasoning salt. Coating one piece at a time, gently shake off the buttermilk and dredge each calamari piece in the breadcrumbs.

Transfer the breaded calamari to the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat the tops of the calamari with more cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and calamari are firm.

In a small bowl, combine the Spicy Mayonnaise and sour cream. Serve the calamari with the Spicy Mayonnaise Dip and a lemon wedge. Garnish with lightly dried parsley.

This post was sponsored by Voodoo Chef, Intensity Academy and Gourmet Garden. I received a jar of seasoning, a bottle of spicy mayonnaise and fresh packaged herbs from the sponsors for participating in #TripleSBites. No additional compensation was received by me. All opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own. Feel free to substitute the branded ingredients as needed with a like for like product.

Voodoo Red Calamari with Spicy Mayo Sauce

*Nutritional value may vary depending upon which ingredients are used.

*PointsPlus® calculated by Famished Fish and in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.

Ingredients

2 lbs calamari rings and tentacles

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp Voodoo Chef Red or other seasoning salt

2 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs

1 Tb Voodoo Chef Red or other seasoning salt

Cooking spray

1/2 cup Intensity Academy Spicy Mayonnaise

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 Tb Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Parsley

1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Instructions

Defrost the calamari if frozen, according to package directions. Mix together the calamari, buttermilk and 2 tsp seasoning salt in a large bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no more than 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a 13×9 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Spray generously with cooking spray.

In a pie plate or other type of dish, combine the bread crumbs and 1 Tb seasoning salt. Coating one piece at a time, gently shake off the buttermilk and dredge each calamari piece in the breadcrumbs.

Transfer the breaded calamari to the prepared baking sheet. Generously coat the tops of the calamari with more cooking spray.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and calamari are firm.

In a small bowl, combine the Spicy Mayonnaise and sour cream. Serve the calamari with the Spicy Mayonnaise Dip and a lemon wedge. Garnish with lightly dried parsley.

Have you ever been approached with an opportunity that you wanted to leap at? I mean, jump into the pool and dive in?
That’s exactly how I felt when I was offered the chance to review and giveaway It’s All Greek To Me by Debbie Matenopoulos.

I adore Greek food! Absolutely adore it.

It’s so fresh and overwhelming with taste and it screams healthy ingredients. Nuts and oils and fruits and vegetables with grilled or baked proteins make up the majority of recipes in Debbie’s book.Debbie was born in Virginia of Greek decent. Debbie’s own love of her family’s traditional food and desire to stay fit and healthy convinced her to write her own cookbook, where she delves into the food and dabbles little family stories on each recipe. Debbie has also had a career as an entertainment news reporter and television host, including televisions’ The View.
I could spend forever in this book and can’t wait to make the traditional Greek Cookies covered in sesame seeds that are compared to how America traditionalizes chocolate chip cookies.
I chose to make a meal out of four of Debbie’s mouth watering recipes.
For one, I had to make the Skorthalia, especially after reading the little family story blurb of a relative mistaking it for mashed potatoes and his face turning red.
The Skorthalia, or Garlic Sauce made with Potatoes, is typically served with cod (but I swear I could smear it on everything!). I even froze my leftover sauce in an ice cube tray for later!
So of course I made the Oven Fried Cod-just so I could have the Skorthalia. The Cod was the most amazing baked fish I ever made. My family inhaled it.

And right alongside the cod recipe was a recipe for Seafood Rice, which was a basic risotto with shrimp and mussels. I omitted the mussels so my kids would eat it, and swapped frozen peas for frozen mixed veggies. All the same 😉 It was so savory and delicious.

And finally I added the Greek Village Salad, which is almost considered a staple for most meals. That was refreshingly tasty, of course.

Come “Fall for Greek” with me with It’s All Greek, and enter the Giveaway below. And check out this quick recipe for Skorthalia. I hope you love it as much as I do!

If you’d like to try these recipes, please enter the raffle below to win a FREE copy of Debbie’s cookbook.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skorthalia-Garlic Sauce Made with Potatoes

Serve with baked cod or fish at room temperature.
Store up to 5 days, covered in the refrigerator.
*Tip: Freeze in ice cube trays for later use as individual servings.

Ingredients

4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeles

2 Tb plus 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, and more to taste

5 cloves garlic

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tb fresh squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

Instructions

Cut the peeled potatoes into 2" chunks and place in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and stir in the 2 Tb sea salt. Bring to a boil and boil over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes.

Drain in a colander and immediately process in a food processor. Add the garlic and additional salt and process until smooth.

Slowly stream in the olive oil with the machine running, followed by the lemon juice. Add more salt to taste, if desired.

Makes 1 1/2 cups, or 24 servings at 2 Tb each.

Notes

Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: 3*Nutritional value may vary depending upon which ingredients are used.*PointsPlus® calculated by Famished Fish and in no way endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc.

Every time we visit a local Vietnamese Pho restaurant spring rolls are the first thing we order. I love the little peanuts they sprinkle on top of the dipping sauce.

Spring rolls are serious food. Seriously delicious. Seriously healthy. Seriously simple. Serious. They are probably one of my husband’s and my favorite appetizer. Or meal. And the kids like ’em too. Especially when they are packed with shrimp and served with this sweet hoisin plum sauce.

There is not much to making these either, and they are reasonably affordable. They are gluten free when made with gluten free sauces, so they are perfect for gluten sensitivities or my finicky shark with autism. Spring roll wrappers are made with whole grain rice and bean threads are made with mung beans. You can’t go wrong with those ingredients.

At some point in the past month I became sucked into a matrimony with citrus fruits. And basically all things bursting with flavor and herbed freshness. One evening in my search for a shrimp and white bean concoction, I came across this simple recipe by Cooking Light. This salad looked over the top delicious! But of course, I added some of my own flair and zing to the shrimp mixture itself.

As leftovers, this was every bit as amazing as the first time.

Such a perfect lunch the very next day…(just store and reheat the shrimp mixture separately.)

And this takes just about 20 minutes to throw together on a busy day.

And I bet you may just have some of most of these ingredients. Don’t like shrimp? Use chicken! Don’t want spinach? Use endive or extra romaine!

I was walking with my friends this afternoon and perusing through Pinterest at the same time, and by the time our walk was over, I was hungry! Then we thought, gosh if only we could just look at food images and be satisfied, rather than having eat it and get fat. And in that case, wouldn’t it be nice of we could watch a workout video and lose weight in the process!?

My husband commented to me this morning, “When did people get so obsessed with their phones?” Our society just can’t be without them. For me, I find it extremely useful for networking. I can even write on this page while my husband is driving. For others it is the convenience of always having a listening ear. People like to be heard. And people like to share. And I love the sharing part-hence all the Pinterest perusing 😉

So it got me to thinking that that is exactly how I came about making this Herb Rubbed Tilapia with Dill Yogurt Sauce and Tomato Feta Salad. By being influenced by what I find on my good old phone. While networking, such as Facebook that is. My friend Ilonka posted in one our motivating Fitness groups that she had made a delicious flaky fish that evening. And then I made some too!

A fit meal made for a healthy eater, this is flaky tender tilapia fillets rubbed with lemon juice and herbs and a bit of healthy oil glaze. Served alongside a dollop of dilled yogurt sauce and a fresh side of sweet grape tomatoes tossed with lean feta cheese and heart healthy kalamata olives. Yum!

About Famished Fish

Hi, I'm Saundra and this is my journey to creating delicious and appealing foods for my family-my famished fish and my finicky shark with autism. I am focused on healthy foods that deliver brain power full of vitamins and proteins. Not to mention delectable treats to entice the young and old alike. Follow me for mouth watering family and kid friendly meals and desserts.

Got a Sweet Craving?

Make Your Dinners a Breeze

Top Posts & Pages

Tweet, Tweet

Archives

Connect

I'm a busy full time working mommy to 3 handsome boys and 1 beautiful baby girl, and wife to a loving husband, living a fulfilled life with food and fun. I am striving for a new healthier self and am working on keeping my family there too! Famished Fish, Finicky Shark is committed to fresh healthy foods and meals (some sinfully unhealthy too) for your family, with healthy fats and lots of love. Stay blogged on for nutritious and delectable recipes and ideas for both you AND your picky children! Read More…